


Highest Honour

by Briniest



Category: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Genre: Also a small appearance by L'Arachel, F/M, Mostly it's just Eirika and Seth though, Post A-Support conversation, There's mention of Tana
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-02-08 20:20:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12872265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Briniest/pseuds/Briniest
Summary: War can be tough, so when Seth hears the princess scream for help in the middle of the night, he rushes to her side in an instant. Things aren't always as they seem, however, and his evening takes a turn he would never have imagined.





	Highest Honour

**Author's Note:**

> Sacred Stones leaves a bit of a gap between Seth and Eirika's A-support and their paired ending. I've heard the original Japanese text mentions she eventually succeeds in convincing him, but we still don't get to see that. Anyways, here's a little fic about exactly that. Enjoy~

A panicked scream roused Seth from his sleep, and he was on his feet almost before his eyes snapped open, her name flying from his lips. He grabbed his lance and hurried towards her, ready to take on any foolish enough to attack his princess.  
Bursting into the tent, his body taut in combat ready stance, lance prepared to swing, Renais’ Silver Knight noticed that there did not appear to be anyone in danger. In fact, it merely seemed as though the women of the army were enjoying each others’ company. After another visual sweep of the room, he realized they were all in their nightclothes and were staring at him, or trying their best not to. He could feel the tension leaking out of him at the relaxed atmosphere of the room.

Princess Eirika, her cheeks stained crimson, fixed him with a warm, imploring gaze.  
“Did we disturb you, General Seth?”  
“I heard a scream and was concerned we were under attack,” he explained.  
“Apologies. Tana suggested it would be good for morale if we got all the ladies together for a slumber party. She was telling a scary story, and it gave me a bit of a fright.” Behind Eirika, L’Arachel was growing steadily redder.

“Where is your clothing, General! Did you think to sneak in here in the dead of night and steal the virtue of innocent young girls? Thief! Pervert! Cad! Devil!” Each insult was punctuated by a thrown cushion, easily batted away by the haft of his lance. “How dare you invade the sanctity of our wholesome fellowship. Begone with you!” Despite her indignant shrieking, the Rausten royal could not tear her eyes from his bare chest. As a matter of fact, all of them were now subjecting him to scrutinous stares. Seth definitely felt underdressed for the level of attention he was now receiving, clad as he was in only a pair of dark coloured riding pants, and he begged leave of the princesses.

Backing away and turning on his heel somewhat quicker than was proper, Seth hurried out of the command tent. The chill night air raised gooseflesh across his exposed skin and he let out an involuntary shiver. Before he had made it even three steps, he felt a warm pressure clasp his wrist. Spinning around, Seth spotted the princess, a dressing gown thrown hastily over her nightdress. “Seth, why did you flee so quickly. I have never known you to be a timid man.”

“Princess L’Arachel made it quite clear I was unwelcome. I thought it best to acquiesce to her wishes.” Part of him wished to remove her hand from his wrist; the longer it remained, the more he would crave it later. Instead, Seth placed his other hand atop hers, marveling at how easily his hand could completely engulf hers. Her eyes moved slowly down from his face to their clasped hands.  
The general cursed his fair complexion when he heard a gasp escape Eirika’s lips. He knew what her attention must have been drawn to. The lanterns mounted outside their tents cast a cheery glow across his bare chest, highlighting the contrast between his pale skin and the ugly puckered wound in his shoulder. Enough time had now passed that it was almost completely scar tissue rather than blood, pus, and flaking scabs, but it still wasn’t a pleasant sight.

“Your wound,” she began, reaching her hand towards it.  
“Please, pay it no mind,” insisted Seth, angling his body away from her outstretched hand. Given their position, this had the unintentional effect of drawing her closer to him. This close it was easier to see the patchwork of other, smaller scars, faded with age.  
“Were all of these from fighting for Renais?” Eirika asked wide-eyed. Her hand alighted on his chest, and he had to fight to keep the heat that suffused him from staining his face a vivid red.

“Most of them, yes” he agreed, straining to retain his mask of equanimity. The princess made a thoughtful noise and traced a scar over the rise of his pectoral towards the collarbone startling a plaintive whimper from Seth. At his reaction, Eirika leapt back as though scalded.  
“Forgive me!” she yelped. “Are those old wounds still tender?”  
“It’s not the pain,” he rasped, face awash in crimson. Astonished by his own lack of control, Seth cleared his throat. “It is inappropriate for a woman to touch a man so casually as that,” he admonished, cheeks still aflame. “Especially a princess to a knight in her service.”  
“Oh?” she asked. Even without him saying anything further she blanched after a moment’s reflection. “Oh! My apologies, Seth...I did not consider…” Eirika let out a soft sigh. “Truly nothing could ever happen between us, then?” 

The tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes filled him with the urge to gather her up in his arms and kiss them away. This was precisely why he needed to get back to the safety of his own tent. Sleep deprivation caused people to make poor choices. Obviously she thought she’d be happy with him, and he would love her tirelessly and without ceasing were she his, but she was a princess and surely, once the novelty wore off, she would grow bored of him. His blood was as common as the dirt underfoot, and how could he be sure they would even have anything to talk about. She would be better off with a prince, someone from her same world that would understand her struggles and how best to face them.  
“It would be best for both you and Renais if you and I maintained a professional distance. Naught but heartbreak could result should the two of us get too familiar.” He spoke not only of her assured eventual disenchantment with him, but also the havoc it would wreak on the battlefield.

“How?” she asked softly. Seth brought his eyes up to meet hers once more. “How?” she repeated, more insistently this time. “You told me once you cared for me as I do you. How are you so convinced it could only end in ruin between us?” There was fire in the princess’ gaze now. Gods how he loved that about her. Were it possible to fell armies with a look, none would dare stand against Eirika’s gaze. “No more talk of rank and title, no more thought of Renais, I want to know why you, Seth, a man, can see no future happiness with myself, Eirika, a woman, even after confessing your feelings to me.” She placed a hand over his heart, a defiant look in her eyes, despite the moisture welling in their corners. Seth was now perilously close to the edge of his restraint, and he licked his lips, trying to squelch the burning desire to find out how it would feel to kiss her.  
“Were it not for those things you mentioned, I do believe we could be unerringly happy together. With you as my wife, Eirika, I would strive everyday to prove the term ‘marital bliss’.” His voice was low and husky, thick with emotion, and she let out a surprised gasp. “However, that is not the world we live in. I could never allow myself to be so selfish and compromise both of our duties in that way.” 

Her gaze seemed to devour him and before he could do anything to protest, she slid her hand up to his shoulder and pushed herself up to meet his lips. He didn’t exactly do anything to protest after the fact, either. If he were being entirely honest, it was as though the kiss had caused his brain to cease functioning at all, his body taking charge of his actions. Lift her up, touch her face, stroke her hair...He was alight with possibilities. Eirika seemed to exult in the options available as well, soon as he drew her nearer to him. One hand devoted itself to memorizing his face and the feel of his hair, while the other explored his chest, shoulders, and back, leaving a pleasantly tingling fire wherever she touched. It was sloppy, frantic, and obvious neither of them had much, if any, experience in this kind of endeavour, but it was possibly the single greatest thing Seth had ever experienced. He mumbled her name against lips soft as he had always imagined. 

“I love it when you say my name like that. Like it’s a prayer…” She pressed a lazy kiss to his forehead, just below the hairline.  
“You are my radiant angel of mercy, and I know not how I came to deserve such a fate…”he mumbled back, too drunk on the feeling of her to process anything that was happening. Oh, what blessed stars had granted him the love of such a peerless goddess, such a wondrous princess. Princess…?The clockwork of his mind began to whir back into action. Yes, that was right...Eirika was his princess. He had pledged his life to her service, and the service of Renais. She brought her lips close for another kiss and, though it was agony to pull away, Seth lowered her gently to the ground, placing a finger to her lips.

“What’s wrong?” Eirika asked, blinking owlishly.  
“Forgive me, Princess Eirika,” he began, giving a deep bow. “I forgot myself momentarily. I got caught up in the delusion that I could keep you for mine own. I will endeavour to make no further lapses in judgement.” He took Eirika’s hand in his, pausing with it halfway to his lips. He did not trust himself enough in the moment to stop after merely one kiss. “I must leave anon, before I err once more…”

The princess interlaced her fingers tightly with his. “Seth.” The way she said his name; at once both a plea and a curse, it rattled him. “You speak so much of duty, but have you ever considered doing something for yourself? There is so much good you have done for those around you, surely you deserve some in your own life, simply to hold onto.”

“You’re too kind, Princess. All I need in life is to know that those around me are safe and well-provided for. I wouldn’t want to put anyone out of their way for my own sake.” Seth stroked his thumb across her fingers until she loosened her grip, then slipped his hand out of hers. “Now, if I may be excused. I should really return to my slumber. You would be wise to do the same.”

He did not, in fact, wait to be excused, wanting to remove himself from the situation before he did something foolish.  
“Damn you, Seth,” she huffed at his back. “You and your gallantry and self-sacrifice. Can’t you, just for once in your life, do something selfish because it’s what you want? You are only a man, yet you insist on comporting yourself as though you hold no desires of your own. It’s as though you do not exist beyond the peerless Silver Knight, who would do anything for king and country...”  
He gave a deep sigh and turned slowly back to face her. “...Princess,”

“Eirika,” she protested hotly. “Call me Eirika. Look into my eyes again as though I’m your most precious treasure. Hold me, kiss me, let me feel your desire as it matches pace with mine.” Her face began to flush as she spoke, and it was unclear which of the many emotions cantering across her face were responsible for it.  
“But what of Renais…?” Seth offered feebly, growing steadily more sure that he would get no sleep that night.

“Renais will not fall because I have chosen a suitor of common birth. If anything it may even be a cause for celebration.” She reached out to take his hand. “My choice has been made, Seth. I intend to take you as my husband, if you should have me as your wife.”  
He took her hand, but offered a counterpoint. “What if your marriage sets a precedent that causes the knights of Renais to be overrun by greed and thirst for power?”

“Then I will have my dashing Silver Knight to set them to rights and lead them true.” Eirika gave him a playful grin that could only mean trouble and kissed his knuckles. He couldn’t help the slight smile that snuck its way onto his own face to match. This woman wreaked such havoc on his carefully cultivated self-control…  
“How can I possibly enforce rule of law when my attachment to the queen stands contrary to such a purpose?” Despite the levity of the situation, his question was deadly serious.

“You’ve claimed you’re sworn to my service, correct?” mused the princess, pressing the index finger of her free hand to her lips. Gods, would he ever be able to forget how soft those perfect lips were?  
“Always, your highness,” he affirmed, giving a solemn nod.  
“Well, what greater service could you render than my eternal happiness?” The playfulness of moments prior had fled and Seth could see conviction, passion, love, and hope mingling in the blazing fire that was her eyes.  
“It would be my highest honour,” he assured, bringing their joined hands now to his lips for a kiss.

Barely a moment had passed before her hand was replaced by her lips and she was in his arms again, making sweet music across his body. Before they could get too lost in each other, though, Seth put a finger to Eirika’s lips, still holding her in his arms.  
“Whatever your concerns are, we will face them, together, as they arise,” she dismissed in the peevish tone of one awoken at an unpleasant hour.

“I am sure we will, my queen,” he agreed, “but I believe it would prove more prudent to continue our amourous activities at such a time when your tent is not filled with guests awaiting your return. I should not like to be the focus of camp gossip in the morn.”  
“I believe that ship set sail the moment you burst into my tent in naught but a pair of tight hose, ready to slay any who plagued me, but I take your point.” She reached down and gave his buttocks a gentle squeeze, as though to emphasize her point, causing him to start slightly, and flush red as his hair. “I am not a queen yet, you needn't call me as such.”

“Queen of my heart, then,” Seth amended, placing a kiss to her forehead and lowering her to the ground. Eirika beamed at this, bringing a hand up to stroke her fingers along his jaw.  
“Good night, Seth. I love you.”  
“And I you, Eirika. Sleep well.”


End file.
